Early intervention services help infants, toddlers develop

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children...

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About this series

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The purpose is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

The Rockford Register Star will celebrate the week with several guest columns on the Opinion pages:

Sunday, April 6: Mealtime fun by Sarah Wolf, Discovery Center Museum

Monday, April 7: Investing in children by Kristen Walley, Rasmussen College.

Tuesday, April 8: Music in early childhood by Juliette Kula, YWCA

Wednesday, April 9: Early interventions by Lynne Riley/Lynn Doolittle, Child and Family Connection

Thursday, April 10: Partnering Success by Lisa Warren, city of Rockford Head Start

Friday, April 11: Thank an early childhood educator by Jeneva Davis, Trinity Daycare

Saturday, April 12: Reducing summer slide by Paul Logli, president/CEO of the United Way of the Rock River Valley

During the 2012-2013 school year, nearly 13 percent of our Illinois student population, ages 3 to 21, had an identified need that allowed them to participate in special education programming and services to help them be successful in school. But what can families do when they are concerned about a child who is not yet old enough for school? Families can contact their state’s Early Intervention Program, a program serving infants and toddlers up to 36 months who are experiencing developmental delays or who have diagnosed conditions that may lead to developmental delays.

Research shows that the first three years of life are critical, yet growing and learning doesn’t happen the same way for every child. Your child may do things later or differently than others his or her age. Families concerned about how a child crawls, walks, talks, understands, responds, sees or hears may benefit from Early Intervention services. The key to optimal development is to access and understand a child’s abilities and needs and then get linked to services at the earliest age possible.

Illinois’ 25 Child & Family Connections offices are the point of entry into the Early Intervention program, with our local office, CFC #1, located in Loves Park.

CFC #1 is a program of Access Services of Northern Illinois. Referrals to CFC #1 can be placed by anyone: family members, the medical community or the educational community, including a child’s daycare provider. After a referral is made, a caring and knowledgeable service coordinator will meet with the family to explain parents’ rights and help determine what evaluations and assessments will be provided by qualified professionals at no cost to the family.

If the family desires to proceed, their service coordinator will arrange for appropriate evaluations that will determine eligibility into the Early Intervention Program. If the child is eligible and parents have given consent, the team will assist in developing an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) linking families to the appropriate services and supports to help their child learn and grow. Fees for ongoing services are determined on a sliding scale dependent upon family size and income.

Every Child & Family Connections office has additional resources available for families that include Parent Liaison Services, Social/Emotional Consultation and Coordinated Local Interagency Council support.

The parent liaison provides links to other parents with common concerns and experiences, offers additional support, and assures that provided services are family-centered. The parent liaison is a parent who has had a child go through the Early Intervention Program.

The social/emotional consultant supports Early Intervention staff and providers by identifying families and children who would benefit from specialized assessments and interventions in order to address behavioral and mental health concerns.

The LIC coordinator assures that physicians, daycare providers and other referral sources to the Early Intervention system have knowledge about the system and when to refer. The LIC coordinator also participates in many community events, such as the upcoming Week of the Young Child Family Fun Fair, to promote Early Intervention in the community.

Page 2 of 2 - If you have concerns about a young child in your life, please call Child and Family Connections #1 at 815-654-6170 to begin the referral process. Illinois’ Early Intervention motto is, “The sooner we start, the further they’ll go.” Beginning early benefits your child, your family and your community!